Baby feeding plate



INVENTOR EDWARD I: OL SEN Muf 477-02445 Filed July 31, 1955 mmoooooooooooooooo 2,733,581 r BABY FEEDING PLATE j Edward F. Olsen,Hillman, Mich.

Application July 31, 1953, Serial No. 371,676

7 2 Claims. (CI. 65-15) This-invention relates to a baby feeding plate.

1 Itis-the object of the present invention to provide a novel babyfeeding plate construction, wherein the compartmented food supportingelement thereof is completely enclosed by a flexible element providedwith a supporting base in. the form of a suction cup, and provided withmeans for preventing accidental dislodgement of food from the plate.

- It'is thefurther object of the present invention to provide a noveland simplified construction, which is easy to manufacture and whereinthe food supporting element may be easily removed from its enclosure andreplaced.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specificationand claims in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the present feeding plate partially brokenaway, for illustration.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the plate shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line 44 of Fig. 1, shown on anenlarged scale; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational section of a slightly different form of feedingplate of plastic construction.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely apreferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments arecontemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing, the present feeding plate includes the annularplate enclosure, generally indicated at 11, which includes the upwardlyand outwardly extending annular side walls 12 terminating at its upperend in the angularly and inwardly directed flange 13, which is taperedtowards its outer end defining the circular rim 14.

The side walls 12 terminate at their lower ends in the inwardly directedannular flanged formation 15, thereby defining the circular opening 16centrally of plate enclosure 11.

The flanged portion 15 has a downwardly and outwardly curved portion 17of annular configuration to thereby define a suction cup, whose internalannular surface is generally indicated at 18, and which has an outermarginal edge 19, as shown in Fig. 2.

A plurality of substantially coplanar circularly arranged hemisphericalprojections 20 are formed and deof the side wall portions 12 oftheenclosure and registers with the base portionof the inwardly directedflanged rim 13, as indicated at 24, whereby the compartmented dish issnugly retained within said enclosure.

Said dish 21 is molded or formed with an elongated ridge 25, whichterminates at one end in dish sidewalls 23, and on its opposite endintersects centrally the transverse ridge 26 formed as a part of thedish base 22, the ends of which ridge 26 terminate at and connect theinner surfaces of the side walls 23. a.

It will be noted that the points of intersection of the ridges 25 and26are curved as at 27 and blend with the base 22 as by the curved portions28, Fig; 2.

Furthermore, the respective outer ends of the ridges.

25 and 26 blend with or merge with the corresponding interior wallportions 23, as by the curved formations 29 and 30.

By this construction, there are provided the three compartinents 31, .32and 33 for receiving different items of food inaconventional manner. r t

The advantage of the annular inwardly directed flange or rim 13 residesin its function of retaining food within pend from the interior surface18 of the suction cup formation 17, and are arranged in a plane abovethe plane of the outer marginal edge 19 of said suction cup, forfunctioning in the manner hereafter described.

A compartmented food tray or dish 21, preferably constructed of aplastic material, is snugly positioned within the annular enclosure 11with its bottom surface 22 bear- .ing upon the annular flange 15 andwith the upwardly and outwardly inclined side walls 23 thereofcooperatively bearing against the interior surface of the correspondingside walls of enclosure 11. It will be noted that the upper annular edge23' of the plate 21 extends up to the top the device or upon accidentaltipping of the baby feeding plate.

As the enclosure 11 is preferably constructed of rubber, the interiorplate '21 may be easily removed for washing and easily replaced.

The suction cup formation 17 of enclosure 11 provides a convenient meansfor immovably securing the present baby feeding plate to a tablesurface.

Normally, when so secured the circularly arranged projections 20 will beslightly out of contact with the table surface.

In order to break the vacuum for removing the plate, it is merelynecessary to manually bear downward upon the side wall of the plate, atany point throughout its periphery, which will in effect projectadjacent projections 20 into operative engagement with the tablesurface, and to lift slightly adjacent portions of the suction cup rim19, permitting the entrance of air thereinto.

The dish 21 is so formed without sharp corners to facilitate not onlyremoval of the food from the various compartments, but to facilitatecleaning.

A slightly different form of construction is shown in Fig. 5, wherein inplace of the outer enclosure 11 of Fig. 2, there is provided a unitarystructure.

The feeding plate shown in Fig. 5, includes a compartmented plateconstruction similar to that shown in Fig. 1, and including the annularupwardly and outwardly extending side walls 31, which terminate at theirupper ends in the upwardly and inwardly directed flange 32', defining anannular rim with bounding inner circular edge 33.

The side walls 31' merge as at 35 in the bottom wall 34, which iscompartmented the same as in Fig. 1, and includes the formed element 36,which defines one of the bounding walls of the compartments similar toformation 25 in Fig. 1.

At the lower ends of side wall 31, there is provided a curved outwardlyand downwardly extending annular flange 37, having a circular marginaledge 38 to define the flexible suction cup construction 39.

There is similarly provided a series of circularly arranged projections40 of semi-circular shape, which project downwardly from the interiorsurface of the suction cup formation 39 at points slightly inward of theside walls 31'. These projections provide fulcrums for breaking thevacuum within the suction cup upon the application of downward pressureto the rim of the plate, in the manner above described in connectionwith projections, 20 of Figs. 2 and 3.

Having described my invention, reference should now I, j Patented Feb.7, 1956= be had to the claims which follow for determining thescope-thereof.-

I claim: 1

1. A baby feeding plate comprising a compartmented dish'having anannular side wall and a bottoirr'wal'l, the lower annular portion ofsaid side wall terminating in a downwardly and outwardlydirected curvedannular flange below said bottom wall forming 2. depending suction cup,an inwardly directed upwardly extending annular rim at the top of saidside walls, and a series of circularly arranged depending projections onthe undersurface of said flange inwardly of its outer edge, whereby adownward thrust upon aside wall of said; dish operatively directsadjacent projections against a supporting surface lifting anjadjacentpo'flion of the suction cup rim to break the vacuum.

2. A baby feeding plate comprising a compartmented dish-of flexiblematerial having an annular side wall and a bottom wall, both walls beingof uniform thickness throughout, said side wall converging downwardlyand inwardly, the lower annular portion of minimumtdiameter of said sidewall terminating in a downwardly and outwardly directed curved annularflange thicker than said side wall at its point of connection with thebottom wall and which extends below said bottom wall tapering towardsits rim forming a depending suction cup, and an inwardlydirectedupwardly extending annular flange at the top of said side wall, saidlatter flange being tapered towards-its peripheryand"extendinginwardlytosubstantially overlap and vertically {register with the interior base ofsaid side wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 12,876V Stimpson May 15, 1855 229,158 r 1880 355,021 1886 664,117 1900 879,364Cohen uFeb 18, 1908 1,394,540 Diack Oct. 25, 1921 1,563,746 Hirsch eta1. Dec. 1, 1925 1,753,611 Lower Apr. 8, 1930 1,893,628 Marsden Jan. 10,1933 2,023,703 Sehlbach Dec. 10, 1935 2,083,299 Hunter June 8, 1.9372,240,602 Bartsch May 6, 1941 2,259,682. Collins Oct. 21, 1941 2,329,279Lower Sept. 14, 1 943 2,545,733 Hatfield Mar. 20, 1951 2,588,990 SanchezMar. 1-1, 1952 H FOREIGN PATENTS 168,400 Switzerland June 16, 1934

